Thanks, that is good to know villager; glad you rate them so highly.
I ended up purchasing the least expensive NEXT 5D example from Music Land Key. It had the NFS pickups removed but the price was 2 1/2 times less expensive than the 345600 yen priced examples. Can't see a set of pickups being worth $1900 unless maybe they are real PAFs
The listing stated the original NFS as removed & in place are "Crews original." If the pickups don't ring my bell I have plenty of old Greco pickups here to try; Double Trick, PU-2, Dry Z, etc.

I like the idea of getting a new guitar & Xmas
Just had an EMS arrival from Japan this morning; a 'custom order' Tele Custom (body binding) with a 2 piece center seam Mahogany body, maple neck w/Ebony slab fingerboard, Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker in the neck, and a Van Zandt single coil w/hot plate in the bridge
Nuthin' like Xmas in May
if the Crews NEXT 5D shows up B4 next Thursday that will be two Xmas in one month

guitar hiro wrote:I like the idea of getting a new guitar & Xmas
Just had an EMS arrival from Japan this morning; a 'custom order' Tele Custom (body binding) with a 2 piece center seam Mahogany body, maple neck w/Ebony slab fingerboard, Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker in the neck, and a Van Zandt single coil w/hot plate in the bridge
Nuthin' like Xmas in May
if the Crews NEXT 5D shows up B4 next Thursday that will be two Xmas in one month

That made me laugh! You are worse than me!

I'm a real lover of bound Tele's so pics when she arrives,,, as well as the Crews of course!

The Crews NEXT 5D arrived today; I actually went to the Post Office to pick it up myself.
Strange thing is the guitar I received today is NOT the guitar Music Land Key had pictured in their Digimart listing WTF? TWILIGHT ZONE stuff here folks

So, as previously reported Music Land Key sent me the WRONG Crews NEXT 5D
the one I ended up getting is serial number 5D LTD 09 (#9 of limited production of 20 pieces)
See below a link to the guitar I received; it is the third one pictured, and just below it there are more photos too. It has the ATB (antique tea burst) top color.
It even has a photo of the head stock reverse with the serial number visible. http://ameblo.jp/key-shinjuku/entry-12096172724.html